A narrow, well-sheltered inlet on the Coromandel's western shore, about four and a half hours' sail from Westhaven. Here's how to get there, where to anchor and what's nearby.
Updated October 2026 · By the YachtShare team, Westhaven Marina
Te Kouma Harbour sits just south of Coromandel Harbour, across the Hauraki Gulf from Auckland. Cruising guides rate it one of the best harbours on the Coromandel coast: about 1.5 nautical miles long, only a quarter of a mile wide, with mud bottoms and green hills all round.
From Westhaven, head out past North Head and run east, either through Tāmaki Strait and the Waiheke Channel or along Waiheke's northern side. Both routes come to roughly 35 nautical miles, so allow about 4½ hours at 8 knots.
Waiheke makes an easy halfway stop (see our guide to sailing to Waiheke Island). From its eastern end, the open-water leg to the Coromandel is around 11 nautical miles, about 1½ hours at 8 knots.
Castle Hill, a 518-metre peak with a square rocky top, makes a good landmark. Coromandel Harbour's entrance lies between Esk Point and Tawhiti Point, with Whanganui Island sheltering it from the west. Te Kouma lies just south of Esk Point.
The crossing has no shelter, so check the forecast and be ready to wait a day if it's blowing. Wind against tide can kick up a short, uncomfortable sea.
The eastern half is shallow; the best anchorages are the northern coves of the western half.
Sugarloaf Wharf at Te Kouma is a busy commercial mussel wharf with a public boat ramp, so expect work boats. Give farms a wide berth and never anchor among the longlines. Manaia Harbour, just south, is shallow and heavily farmed, so it's no place to anchor.
Coromandel town sits in the harbour's north-east corner. There are extensive mussel farms along the southern shore from Esk Point to Pa Point, and along Whanganui Island east of Tawhiti Point.
The best anchorages are under Whanganui Island. Woolshed Bay and the bay to its west both have good holding in mud. Deep Cove, on the island's north-west side, is good in southerly to easterly winds but can be squally in a fresh easterly.
About 10 nautical miles north of Te Kouma (about 1¼ hours at 8 knots). Elephant Cove on Motukahaua (Happy Jack Island) gives shelter in northerlies. In settled high-pressure weather, the wind often swings south overnight.
Since 2025 these waters have been a High Protection Area, so there's no fishing or taking anything. The islands are privately owned, so you need the owners' permission to land.
There are normally no shops in Te Kouma Harbour. The Auckland ferry lands at Hannafords Wharf, Te Kouma, and its shuttle takes about 20 minutes to drive into Coromandel town, so town isn't a stroll from the anchorage.
You can reach town by dinghy, but plan around the tide. The harbour shallows towards town and the creek dries, so it's only practical near high tide. From Whanganui Island it's a long ride, so take plenty of fuel and wear lifejackets.
Every yacht in our fleet can make this trip, as it's well within the fleet's survey limits under our Maritime NZ MOSS certification.
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Planning note: distances and times are approximate and based on an average of 8 knots. Always check current charts, the marine forecast, tide times and any local or biosecurity notices before you go.
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